50th hunger games
by PineappleLovesToWrite
Summary: so, this is the 50th hunger games... however, the character are different. YOU decide their fate in the games. please read! -


I clasp my fingers tightly around my reins, and I dig my heels in. Oliver is galloping in no time. A cloud of dust is being kicked up by his hooves. It is at times like this I feel at one with the world. Care-free and not worrying whether or not the odds or not going to be in my favour this year. Like every year, the day before the reaping, I meet up with my twin sister- Mia. We meet up in the densest part of the forest. I travel by horse, Mia travels by foot. She has great stamina. Even though she is my twin sister we look nothing alike. She has light-brown hair, deep brown eyes and a slim figure – perfect for her incredible stamina. Whereas I have brown hair, eyes with different shades of blue and hazel and a more muscular frame- perfect for my speed. After about 10 minutes of continuous galloping Oliver slows down, his eyes sparkle mirroring the sparkling lake which splits the forest of half. As I dismount I see that Mia isn't here yet, so I gather some roots and shoot down some game with my bow and arrows. When I take down my last rabbit I return to Oliver and the lake, not noticing Mia.

"Hey! World to Pineapple!" she shouts as I turn round suddenly, my bow loaded, aiming for her heart.

"WOA! Calm down its just me." she says with her hands up in the air.

"Sorry I wasn't expecting you here yet, I've just got some roots and game from the hotspot." The 'hotspot' is where all the game seem to live, so I can take loads out without damaging the population.

"Awesome. I'll skin them now. You make a fire so we can cook them up." She replies holding out her hand so I can give her the game which is hanging loosely around my waist. I pas it over to her and head out into the woods to collect some fire wood. When I return Mia has skinned the game and is washing it in the lake. She notices me and smiles weakly. Its then when I realise why she is smiling with such a sad expression –today is reaping day. I have opted for tesserae only 5 times this year, whereas Mia being the oldest, has opted more. 50 times more to be exact. Tesserae means you get more food than usual each month, although, there is a catch – your name will be entered more each time you opt for tesserae, therefore the odds become more and more less in your favour. By the time she's skinned the game and washed it we put it on the fire along with the roots. We are silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts. After five minutes Mia brakes the silence, "So, how's Oliver? I noticed the other week he had a gash in his neck." I remember about how it happened, I was galloping home from a hunt but our path was blocked by a fallen tree. So we jumped it, not noticing how big the drop was on the other side, he lost his footing and fell on top of me and my bow and arrows spilled out on the path, the point on one of the arrows punctured his neck and it stayed in there for at least ten minuets before I noticed it. By the time I had noticed it, his brown neck was drenched in his blood. He quickly recovered when our mother made some healing ointment.

"Oh he just fell and landed on something sharp" I say casually cleaning my arrows from the games blood.

"Oh right." She said sounding relieved.

The silence continued until I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed her hand and raised it in the air and shouted.

"May the odds be ever in our favour!"

Mia's expression reads clearly that she is confused and slightly shocked about how enthusiastic I must seem. I quickly let go of her hand and continue eating my tough textured game.

Chapter 2

When we finish what could be our last meal together, we pack up and Mia climbs aboard with me on Oliver and we gallop home, she holds on tightly as we race through the dense foliage of the forest. When we reach the borders of district 12, we hold on tightly as Oliver makes the impossible leap over the 'electrical fence' and with a heavy landing we make our way home. As we reach our home we dismount Oliver and Mia goes inside to wash and get out of her normal comfortable district clothes and into her reaping clothes. I take Oliver to the porch, tie him up, un-tack him and re-fill his water and grain bucket. Once I've finished I go inside to find mother holding up a towel, signalling to me that it's time for my wash and for me to get ready for the reaping. After I've washed I go to my room and find a light purple dress with an orange ribbon tied around the waist of the dress. I hate it. The colours are amazing, it's the frills and awkward fitting that makes my skin crawl. I never wear dresses normally. One- because I hate them, two – because we can never afford them, and three - I'm more or less always riding Oliver in the woods, or hunting game.

I make my way down the old dusty, splintered stairs and find my mother braiding Mia's hair. I wait until it's my turn for my hair to be braided. Mia sits through the braiding and final touches to her presentation comfortably, whereas I sit yelping out short strikes of pains as my hair is tugged at and braided tightly. Once my mother has finished she stands me next to Mia hand wraps us into a tight group hug. Suddenly the gong sounds, my heart beat increases as two peacekeepers barge into the house and drag me and Mia out the door. The peacekeepers took us to the line situated for girls only, parallel from us is the boy's only line. When I reach the ID station a peacekeeper pricks me with an electrical powered need which opens a puncture in my finger-tip, the peacekeeper then takes hold of my hand and presses it against some paper- showing up my finger-print in blood. She then scans it with a hand-held device.

"You may go now Megan."

She gestures me to the girls, and I walk there constantly looking out for Mia. She isn't anywhere to be seen…

Once all children aged 12-18 have been pricked, identified and placed in either the boys or the girls section a deafening BOOM surrounds us. The reaping has begun.

"Hello and welcome to the annual reaping of District 12 for the Quarter Quell!" (50th hunger games) "This year, as you know, double the amount of tributes shall be reaped into this year's games!" She seems to hold for applause. There isn't one.

"Ladies first!" She walks over to the spherical glass dome which holds, somewhere, my name. Along with all the other girl's names. She waves her hand around and around in the dome before plummeting her slim pink tinted hand deep into the dome. Seconds later her hand resurfaces holding a petite piece of paper, enfolded and tied with a thin golden thread. She unfolds it, clears her throat and says briskly,

"Miss Mia -" She is cut off by Mia screaming, and falling to her feet. She holds tight onto my leg and I pull her up, and whisper "Don't worry. Ill sort this out." She stares into my eyes, perplexed. Her eyes full of anxiety and hungry for an explanation. I let her go. She falls to the floor. I shout at the top of my voice, "I volunteer. I shall take Mia's place." the pink woman looks perplexed and she whispers to the mayor of district 12, but I can't hear them. I just see the mayor give her a nod. After that she straightens her fluorescent pink and crimson wig. "Come on dear."

I make my way towards the stage. Peacekeepers following me. I reach the iron stairs and look up to see the pink woman holding out her hand, ready for me to climb the staircase. I ignore her hand and climb them on my own.

"Let's have a round of applause for Megan!" I cringe my face at the sound of my putrid name. My name is Pineapple. Period. Silence falls over district 12. No one applauses me, they just extend their arms and place their three middle fingers against their lips- keeping their pinkie and thumb on top of each other. It's a symbol of respect. The pink lady shakes her head disappointingly and quickly moves on. "Let's have the second girl!" she repeats her hand actions, into the dome, waves it around, picks up another strip of paper and stands back near her microphone stand, and she unfolds it. With a sudden look of shock she stutters out "M…Mi….. Mia Lily."

The name hits me like a tonne of bricks. After risking my life, to try and protect her. To make sure she doesn't get entered into the twisted Capitols games… Mia is destined to be a tribute.

To my surprise, she doesn't look as horrified. Maybe the shock hasn't sunk in I think to myself. But she just straightens the bow on her dress and walks over the stage. She quickly climbs the stairs and links arms with me. The pink lady stares at us for a short while, and I think I see a tear forming in her left tear duct.

"Now for the boys." Again she repeats her actions. Picks up an enfolded piece of paper. And reads it out. Fresh and brisk like.

"Callum Hawkins."

I search the district's court for anyone who could belong to the name _Callum Hawkins. _I spot him out. He's tall, dark brown hair, looks about the same age as me and Mia, and has the seam's eyes. Grey / blue. Another boy is holding onto his arm. He looks a lot older than him, however he looks vaguely similar to him. I just assume he's his older brother. Callum looks confident and briskly walks over to the stage, and climbs the stairs. His expression is hard to read. So I shake my head and continue to wait for the reaping to be over. The pink woman congratulates him, and then swiftly repeats her dome actions for the last time. She unfolds the paper and reads out-

"Fabian Taylor"

I again search the court for a boy belonging to the name _Fabian Taylor_. I spot him as he walks gingerly down towards the stage. He has very short brown hair, eyes to match, slim figure and looks again- around the same age as me and Mia. I think to myself uneasily, _easy kill._ I shake the thought from my head.

The reaping is nearly over. All there is to do now, is to shake hands with my fellow tributes and say my goodbyes.

Chapter 3

Peacekeepers surround me, Mia, Fabian and Callum into the justice building. Fabian and Callum are deposited into separate rooms and myself and Mia are kept together. We sit in silence, both huddled up in our mothers arms. Our mother finally brakes the suffocating silence and sings softly-

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when again they open, the sun will rise._

Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Here it's safe and here it's warm  
And here the daisies guard you from every harm  
And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you  
Here is the place where I love you.

I feel tears begin to fill my eyes. This song is a lullaby that our father used to sing to me and Mia when we were only toddlers. Before the mine 'accident'. Our father died when he was deep in the mines. A colossal explosion took place and killed everyone down there. The only people who survived were a couple of men who were working on the top tunnel. Anyone below there- were goners.

Suddenly a large peacekeeper barged into the room and barked

"Your time is up"

We all stand up and pull ourselves into one last hug. _Last hug, you're never going to see your mother again. _I think to myself, _you're never going to see Oliver again either! _Oliver! I didn't even get chance to say goodbye to him. I hope mother will take care of him, or at least let him survive in the wild, otherwise the peacekeepers will either use him for food or for a miners rescue horse. If it came to my decision out of the two, I would let the peacekeepers shoot him through the head. Cruel I know, however its better than suffocating slowly down in the mines.

Our Mother is then snatched from our grasp with a lot of force. Before she disappears me and Mia whisper in unison

"I love you."__

And with that, our mother is gone and there is no-one else left for me and Mia to say goodbye to. So we just sit down on the stiff leather seats of the justice building in silence. After about two or three minutes, two peacekeepers barge into the room and aggressively assist me and Mia to Fabian and Callum, who are waiting in the hallway. Fabians eyes have red soggy rings around them. He must have had to say goodbye to someone he loved dearly. Callum however, seems to have the same unreadable expression on his face. _Did he even have to say goodbye to anyone? _I think to myself. Mia must have thought the same thing because she is looking at him in pure bewilderment. Then I remember the older boy clinging on to him as his name was read out.

The pink lady meets us in a matter of seconds. She is reading a piece of paper, must be her schedule because she's scowling and then quickly raises her eyes and looks surprised at our presence.

"No time for introductions. Follow me and I shall introduce myself and your mentor on the train. CHOP CHOP!" She quickly claps her hands and strides away, leading us to the train where we will be transported to the Capitol… How I dread the thought of entering the train.

It's a good ten minute drive to the train. As we drive there, waves of people are restricted from getting in our way- the cars way.

When we arrive at the train we slam to a halt, making Mia's head jerk back and forth.

We exit the car and are again assisted by at least twelve peacekeepers to the train. As I reach the doors, I turn to Mia and simply nod to her. She links her arm around mine and we walk into the train. To our surprise the interior is simply stunning. A large dining table saturated with fruits, cake, sandwiches, noodles, chocolate fountains (one milk choc and one dark) and various other foods. I pass a luxurious deep blue velvet sofa that is begging to be touched, and I let my fingers gently sweep it. The walls are deep navy blue and are lined with light strips of fabric. The floor is crimson and I can feel my feet sink as I walk across the room. In front of the sofa lies a large cinematic television.

"You children are rather lucky you know! Being able to taste, hear, see and smell the Capitol!" The still anonymous pink woman shrieks. It makes me feel sick that she genuinely believes that going to deaths door at 200miles per hour is great…

"Yeah but we aren't lucky that we are certainly going to die" I mutter under my breath, however the woman must of heard me because when I look up I see her scowling at me. She quickly shakes her head and clears her throat. _Great, a lecture._

"Where are my manners? My name is Samantha McGahern-" She is cut off, because a drunken man stumbles into the room, holding a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Ah Ben, it's so nice of you to arrive." She squeaks. "This is your mentor, his name is-"She is again cut off when the drunken spits out his name, "I know my own name _woman_! I am Ben Coulbeck. Nice to meet you kids'!"


End file.
